Odd Onigiri Out
by InuKoishii
Summary: AU Second fanfic, Haruru or Kyoru, you decide. Tohru is new at Shigoshi Prep, who will get her first? Rating based on Chapter 4 and up.
1. The New Onigiri

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A/N: Hey, this isn't one of my better fics, I think. Just look at the name. Hopefully, the story is better than the title, because if it isn't, ya'll are in for one bad story. I'm sorry. This story will be either Hatsuharu/Tohru or Kyo/Tohru partially based on the number of votes for each. I've never written Haru/Tohru before, though. Enjoy!

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''Class, please welcome the new student, Ms. Tohru Honda, to Shigoshi Prep,'' Mr. Alamain's monotone voice echoed over the silent classroom. ''Welcome, Ms. Tohru Hon-,'' A3 droned as the door opened. Everyone's collective breath caught in their throats as Tohru entered.

A light seemed to radiate around her as she took one step in. The next step exposed her long pale legs. The view stopped at the hem of the short blue skirt that the school required. Boys and girls sighed, both for different reasons. A third step into the classroom revealed the rest of her, clad in a white and blue sailor's shirt and a bright smile. Her slim figure moved gracefully to the front of the classroom, weaving through desks and exposing a good part of her white skin. The males in the class thanked the heavenly beings that the door was at the back of the classroom. Tohru's waist length brown hair contrasted with her sparkling azure eyes, wide with curiosity and innocence. The sapphire hair ribbons wound into her tresses floated around her as her navy blue ballet flats maneuvered their way to the front.

The class was in awe. **(A/N: How could you not be with that description? I think I outdid myself that time.) **Kyo Sohma merely...smirked. Hatsuharu Sohma remained calm as ever, smiling ever so slightly, like she was a joke. As the girls in the class looked at the two most attractive (and single!) boys in the school, they felt relief that the boys weren't impressed.

When Tohru reached the front, she turned around, gracing them with a ditzy little smile, one that everyone (or almost everyone) would come to know and maybe even love. Kyo leaned back in his seat, giving the girl a quick once-over. He was sure that, behind those big blue peepers of hers, she wasn't as innocent as she portrayed herself to be. At least, he was 99 sure. After all, she even looked to good to be true. And if she was? Well then, Kyo paused, he might have to think on that. His eyes flickered over to the girl's lush pink lips, curved upwards, and he tried to find a shred of mischievousness in them. Cruelty? Anger? Anything? Come on, throw a man a bone. But he couldn't. Which made him more than a little frustrated. He looked over to his cousin, Hatsuharu, who was also watching her intently. Their gazes met, and they exchanged the slightest of nods. Find out.

It was a rare show of acknowledgment towards each other.

Haru surveyed the new girl intently. Her large sky blue gaze caught his violet one, and she smiled tentatively. Haru thought he felt his heart skip a beat. There was no narrowing of the eyes, no flirtatious smirk. How could anyone be that innocent? Especially in high school? He let out a breath. Hmm...curiouser and curiouser.

After what seemed like entirely too long to Mr. Alamain, he coughed and shattered the thick atmosphere in the classroom. ''Well,'' he started, ''would anyone like to be Ms. Honda's guide around school?'' A good number of hands went up, all from the male population of the class. Mr. Alamain sweatdropped. **(A/N: Hey, teachers are people too. Or in this case, anime characters.) **''Erm...'' he looked around, trying to spot a face that wasn't too perverted for the innocent young Honda girl. ''Mr. Sohma!'' he exclaimed, calling on the only male besides his cousin that wasn't raising his hand. Kyo and Haru both looked at the teacher, snapping out of their trances. They both looked at Mr. Alamain and then at each other. Mr. Alamain's line of sight fell directly upon Kyo.

''E-eh??!'' Kyo said unsurely, pointing to himself. ''Me?!?!''

The girls in the class practically tripped over themselves trying to kill, or at least maul, the English teacher.

''Can't you see-''

''Sweet Kyo-''

''He doesn't want to-''

''Why the hell are you forcing him, you lamebrain?!?!''

Mr. Alamain twitched. ''Excuse me, ladies... Is that the time? I have to...uh...put some more quarters into the...uh...em...'' He nearly shot out of the classroom, with a few dozen girls behind him as well. Tohru Honda stared nervously at the class, unsure what to do in front of a large group of the opposite sex. Kyo sauntered up to the front, hands in his pocket, getting assaulted by the boys' jeers about how lucky he was, and how he better not play any tricks on that innocent, unsuspecting new girl up there.

''So,'' he smirked at Tohru, ''I'll be your guide for today.'' He watched her intently for any signs of flirtatiousness. A return simper? An arched eyebrow? Again, nothing. She just smiled again, and unconsciously, a piece of his heart seemed to melt.

As did a piece of someone else's heart. Haru's, to be exact. Usually Haru was steadfast in his decisions about women, but he had actually changed his mind, for what seemed like the first time in a couple of years. Maybe Tohru wasn't that bad after all. Maybe.

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Squee! How was that? R&R please, or I'll never get the next chapter up before the next month. I need help from the readers too, remember. By the way, this is my second fanfic. Don't be TOO critical. 


	2. Making You Smile

**A/N:** Wow, this must be some sort of record. The day after writing the first chapter, I write the second. Don't expect this to be permanent. I'm just writing this because it's a Friday and I'm procrastinating on my homework.

So! Second chapter- I have some things to address about the first chapter. First of all, I am sooo, soo sorry that I wrote that Haru's eyes were violet. I was in Yuki-mode. Eep! Will not happen again. So now I have to find out what color Haru's eyes really are. They're black, aren't they?

Hmm.. I don't think this one is as good as the first one. It's called Making You Smile. Enjoy!

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''Er...'' Tohru spoke for the first time since she had entered the classroom, ''I'm Tohru Honda.'' Her voice was soft and musical, and it seemed to match her appearance. Her smile faltered as the cries coming from Mr. Alamain floated through the open window. ''Will he be alright???'' she asked worriedly. The class didn't seem to care.

''Yeah, he'll be fine,'' a loud voice came from the back. Tohru turned eagerly to the speaker and saw a long-haired blond girl with a cocky grin similar to Kyo's. ''Yo,'' the spunky teenager said, ''I'm Arisa Uotani. You want me to show you around instead of carrot-top? His hormones might overwhelm his puny brain.''

Kyo spun around. ''What did you call me, you lousy, good for nothing, Yankee?'' he yelled.

''I SAID you were a hormonal...'' Uo's voice got louder and louder, but Tohru tuned it out. Her eyes landed on the bickering teens, wondering if they were a couple or something. The deep blue orbs slowly drifted around the classroom. They landed on Haru.

Haru froze when he felt the girl's eyes on him. He glanced up, one eyebrow raised. The soft azure eyes seemed to smile at him. For some reason, he blushed. Just for a second. But one split second was all it took for Kyo to notice.

A smirk stretched over Kyo's handsome angular features. _So,_he thought, _my cousin already likes Tohru? Maybe I should play matchmaker for them_. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he felt like...like...like he wanted to keep her. For himself. _Eh?_he wondered. _It's not like I actually __**like**__ her. I haven't even known her __for 5 minutes. But..._ A timid cough awakened him from his dreams. It was Tohru.

''So...are you going to lead me on a tour?'' she asked. Then her eyes widened. ''I mean, if it's not a problem!!! I...I...don't want to trouble you. Really!'' He nearly laughed. There was no way she could have any hint of maliciousness in her. She was...sweet. All of a sudden, he stopped. Did he really just think that? What the hell? What was wrong with him? She was just a pretty face.

Tohru stared concernedly at Kyo. ''A-ahh...'' she said. ''Are you all right?''

Kyo started. Jeez! What was wrong with him? ''Y-yeah,'' he stuttered. ''Come on, let's go.''

''Wait up!'' A voice came from the back of the class. Uo-chan and another girl with greenish hair, walked up to the front. ''We'll come with you, Tohru-chan,'' smirked Uo. ''Just to make sure Carrot-Top doesn't try anything funny.''

Tohru bowed, beaming. The second girl, who had a porcelain face and a long dark braid, stepped up. ''I am Saki Hanajima,'' she whispered. Tohru smiled broadly. Her second friend in just over 10 minutes! She bowed again. ''Hello, Hana-chan!'' she chirped. ''It would be an honor if you and Uo-chan would accompany me!''

''Oh great,'' muttered Kyo. ''A psychic and a Yankee.''

Uo overheard. ''What?!?'' she snapped. ''You planning to keep her all to yourself?''

''W-what??!'' he stuttered. ''Why you...''

Their voices increased, and Tohru turned to Hana. ''Ahh, Hana-chan,'' she said, ''what did he mean by psychic?''

Hana-chan merely smiled mysteriously. ''It's nothing, Tohru,'' she said. ''I can just shock people with electric waves and I'm pretty good at sensing people's feelings, or thoughts.'' Her eyes were downcast, expecting Tohru to gasp in horror or run away from her.

Tohru did gasp, but not in horror. Au contraire. In fascination. ''Really??? Wow! I would hate to get on your bad side! I mean, not that I would try to or anything...but, just wow!!! That is so cool! Maybe I could try it sometime! Wait, I didn't mean-'' As Tohru rambled on, she didn't notice the slight widening of Hana's eyes. Nor did she realize that a second later, the deep navy blue eyes, darker even than the school uniform itself, relaxed. But she did realize that the straight line of Hana's mouth curled up at the corners. And maybe, just maybe, it was a smile.

Which made Tohru's mouth stretch even wider across her delicate face. How happy it made her to see other people smile, especially when she was the cause of it.

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**A/N:** There, how was that? Not too much Kyoru or Haruru, huh? Well, R&R if you want the next chapter to be up quickly! And take care; I am delicate. So no flames! Well, unless it really is that horrible. Then I give you my permission to flame me. cowers in fear 


	3. Tour Guides

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Third chapter! I'm thinking of starting a new story for Inuyasha, part of the reason for my absence. I'll still try to update here, though. Again, standard disclaimer. I don't own anything related to Fruits Basket.

R & R!!!! There weren't as many reviews this time, so I kind of lost interest in this story. REVIEW.

**P.S.** About Yuki, I don't think he's going to be in this fanfic. Really sorry, because I love him too, but I'm not quite sure where to fit him in. If you have suggestions, feel free to tell me, because my brain's going a bit crazy.

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Kyo, Tohru, Hana, and Uo were just about to walk out the door when Mr. Alamain came back, covered in colorful blue, black, and purple bruises. ''Jeez, Mr. Alamain, what happened?'' drawled Haru. ''You look like a panda who got funky with some crayons.'' Mr. Alamain glared at him. ''Just for that, Mr. Sohma, you have to go accompany your cousin and Ms. Honda on their tour of the school.''

Cries echoed throughout the classroom. ''How is that a punishment?!'' one boy cried out, while a few others protested in agreement.

The girls were absolutely furious now. How dare that rotten English teacher take away the OTHER best-looking boy in the class??? He was really in for it now.

Mr. Alamain's eyes widened. Perhaps he realized the error of his so-called punishment. Perhaps he was busy calculating how much longer he had to live. Thankfully, he was saved by the bell. The poor man's eyes nearly popped out of his head in relief. Haru just shrugged and stood up to go stand next to Kyo.

''H-here,'' Mr. Alamain stuttered to the group of five. ''Take the hall passes and go. You have all of this period and next.'' Kyo took the passes and stuffed them into his pocket. ''Thanks,'' he chuckled, ''and good luck.'' He and Haru sent the man matching salutes before ambling out of the classroom, the three girls at their heels, leaving Mr. Alamain to quickly lock the door behind them to protect himself from raging fangirls.

''So!'' Tohru exclaimed, her naturally rose lips curving into a smile. ''Is Shigoshi Prep a good school? I heard that it was one of the top in the nation!''

Uo stepped in sync with her. ''Yeah, it's a pretty good school. The students pretty much have control over the teachers, which is a really bizarre system, but somehow, it works. So the principal doesn't mind as long as the school keeps up it's A's.''

Tohru's eyes were as wide as saucers. ''That must be horrible for the teachers!'' she whispered in disbelief. ''The poor things! I should give them something for their willingness to be trampled by a bunch of 11th graders.''

At this the entire group laughed. ''Don't worry about it, Tohru-chan,'' chortled Haru. ''The teachers already get paid very well. You don't need to worry about them.''

Tohru looked a little confused. ''All right,'' she said. ''So...where exactly are we?''

Kyo pointed out the cafeteria, the gym, and the main office. ''The food here sucks, so you might as well go out to eat. Over there's the auditorium, and-''

Uo stopped him. ''Carrot top's starting to get boring, isn't he, Tohru?'' she asked Tohru.

Tohru turned red. ''A-ano, well...''

Uo interrupted again. ''Let's get some REAL touring done. Over there's your Math room, where Ms. Bristen teaches. Watch out for her, she's a prickly one. That's the Science lab, Mr. Galanteo teaches there. He's really nice, unless you knock over one of those beakers with the purple and red liquid in it. He turns into the Hulk, you know, that overrated American movie? Trust me, I've had firsthand experience...''

Uo's voice faded into the background for Kyo and Haru, but Tohru was clinging on her every word, giving an occasional giggle at her outlandish summaries of classrooms. Haru leaned towards Kyo. ''Yo, found anything out?''

Kyo glared back at him. ''Of course I haven't. We've only known her for 15 minutes.''

Haru eyed Tohru. ''You know, she really doesn't seem that bad. Not all girls have to have a bad streak in them.''

Kyo looked suspiciously at Tohru too. ''I doubt it,'' he muttered. ''She seems a little too good to be true. Too pure, you know?''

Haru rolled his eyes. ''Whatever you say, Mister Doubtful. But don't come crying to me when you fall head over heels for the girl.''

Kyo grinned maliciously. ''Like you just did?''

A vein throbbed in Haru's temple. ''Baka,'' he murmured. ''Like you said, we've only known her-''

He was interrupted by Hana, who was standing in front of them. Her footsteps had been so soft, they hadn't heard her. ''Personally,'' she whispered, ''I agree with Haru.'' She cocked her head and glanced at Kyo, blue sparks around the crown of her head daring him to defy her.

He gulped. ''Whatever you say.'' He added in an undertone, ''I still think- YOW!''

Hana smiled mysteriously as the sparks around her head died out. ''Are you coming? We still have to give Tohru a tour of the second and third floor. Hurry up or we'll be late for fourth period. And you know I hate to be late...''

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**A/N:** Okay, third chapter up. GO HANA!!! You can tell she has an instant connection with Tohru, right? Time to click the little blue button and submit a review! 


	4. Who's the Baba?

**A/N:** Decided to update sooner! I hope you like the fourth chapter, because reviews haven't been coming very fast. REVIEW!!! I have no inspiration anymore.

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Again, I don't own Fruits Basket. Seriously. As much as it looks like I do.

Kyo and Haru were heading back home, discussing Tohru. ''So, Kyonkichi,'' Haru slyly started, ''Have you found out anything about her yet?''

''What am I supposed to find out anyways, you stupid cow?'' Kyo snapped at him, annoyed with the usage of his nickname. ''But I have been wondering...'' he faltered.

The two boys' eyes met, fiery red against steely black. ''Why did she arrive in the middle of the school year?'' they both wondered aloud.

After a few minutes of thoughtful silence, they burst out in a jumble of words. ''Maybe she did something illegal-'' Kyo whispered.

''Did she sleep with the principal?'' Haru mused, which earned him a hearty smack on the head from a very annoyed Kyo.

Suddenly, the two boys heard a scream. A girl's scream. A scream of pure fright and helplessness. They rushed towards the sound, shocked that someone had actually ventured into the deep woods near the Sohma house. As they got closer, the screamer became visible. And so did the reason.

Tohru was backed up against a tree, backpack thrown onto a pile of leaves. The books inside had been strewn all over, probably by the three men who surrounded her, leering dully. Her large blue eyes were wide and misted over, about to drop tears. Her school shirt had been ripped, much to the delight of the men. One of them spoke, a fat, tall one with sausage like fingers and bloodshot eyes.

''Hello, sweetness,'' he murmured. ''You coming with us?''

Tohru closed her eyes as the tears fell. ''N-no,'' she whispered, wishing she could run. As if reading her thoughts, the men closed in tighter.

''Too bad,'' growled a shorter man, dressed all in black. His hair was sticking up all over the place, and his teeth were yellow and crooked. ''You got no choice.''

Tohru's chest heaved as she stared up, timid as a doe. The men's grins widened, and one of the men grabbed her hands. Tohru tried to pull away, but the third man, a potato-shaped person with a doughy face, grabbed her other hand and twisted it. She cried out in pain and her head fell back. ''H-help,'' she whispered. ''Somebody...help.''

The last thing Tohru remembered before blacking out was hearing a ''NOW!'' from somewhere in the tall, now blurry plants and seeing the two boys who had accompanied her on her tour rush out from behind a maple tree. The three men had yelped, letting her go, and she sank onto the ground, tears staining her porcelain face. When she woke up, she was in a bed that wasn't hers. Wait...a bed??!! No... it couldn't be.

''Eep!'' she trilled, jumping out from under the yellow lace covers, still in her dirty school uniform. Almost immediately, she fell back down, her legs a pile of jelly. Footsteps resounded in her ears, and the next thing she knew, the boy...the boy with the black and white hair was holding her, a concerned look on his face. She blinked in shock at her legs, covered in bruises. More footsteps were heard and a second boy came up the stairs, the one with orange hair that Uo-chan called ''Carrot top''.

''Don't try to stand up!'' he barked at her, surprising and scaring her. ''Your legs are already hurt.''

Tohru shivered, afraid that he might hurt her. ''Y-yes...'' she croaked, her throat closing up.

Haru (yes, that was his name, she remembered) glared at Kyo, the lanky teen. ''Jeez, Kyo, be a little more accommodating, why don't you?'' he growled. ''The girl's just been sexually assaulted, woken up in a foreign house, and on top of that, she has you to scream at her.''

Tohru blushed. ''U-um,'' she said. ''It's not really his fault. I'm grateful for you, I really am. Thank you for saving me.''

Haru turned his head toward her and gave her a broken smile. ''It's nothing, really,'' he told her. ''Are you alright now?''

She gave him a big, bright smile. ''Oh yes!'' she exclaimed. ''I feel great now! A-ah, except for...my...legs...'' She stared at the long, tanned limbs in question, which she couldn't really feel.

Kyo glared in annoyance that Tohru and his cousin were getting along so well. Even in her current state of weakness, he realized, she was still stunning enough to blind them both with her smile. Then he shook his head, trying to get rid of the distracting thoughts he'd just had. Whatever. Enough about her. If she was here, she might as well earn her keep.

''Yo,'' he told her. ''Can you cook?''

Tohru immediately straightened up. ''O-oh, yes! I can!'' she stuttered excitedly. ''I-I love to cook!''

Haru looked at Kyo in amazement. ''She's only been here for 5 minutes and you're already asking her to be our housemaid?'' he asked Kyo. ''Plus, we need to tell her parents that she's here.''

At this, Tohru looked down, her bangs covering her eyes, blushing a bright red. Haru looked startled. ''W-what is it?'' he asked her, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

''A-ano, well,'' she muttered. ''I don't have parents.''

The two boys' eyes widened. Oops. Haru tripped over his words trying to apologize. ''I-I meant, I didn't know, really.''

Tohru looked up again, after ridding her eyes of any tears. ''It's okay, really!'' she grinned. ''I-I'm fine.'' But her eyes told a different story. They were clouded over with tears, and the blue in them wasn't shining through. They were dull and lifeless, just like...just like her parents were.

Kyo was silent the entire time. Finally, he spoke up. ''So...who do you live with?'' he asked her.

She blushed again. ''Well, I was supposed to live with my grandfather, but his...my...aunt...threw me out... So, I decided to go find my mother's old friend and ask her if I could live with her!''

''YOUR AUNT THREW YOU OUT?!'' Kyo screeched, taken back.

Tohru smiled wistfully. ''Well, since I am...my mother's child, my aunt has a natural...hate for me.''

Haru could tell this was painful for her, so he switched the topic. ''So, who is your mother's friend?'' he asked her. ''Why are you looking for her over here?''

''Oh!'' she said. ''Well, I remembered she lived here, in these woods.''

Haru and Kyo looked at each other. ''Nobody's lived in these woods since...'' Kyo muttered. Suddenly he paled, and looked at Haru.

Haru raised a questioning eyebrow. ''Since?'' he asked him.

''Since Kagura-baba''. Haru's face suddenly whitened to match Kyo's.

''Oh yes!''Tohru smiled. ''Kagura was her na-'' Suddenly she broke off, looking at the boys' faces. ''Is everything all right?'' she asked them worriedly. ''Do you know her?''

Silently, they nodded.

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**A/N:** Woohoo! Kagura's been introduced, and as a -baba! It means old lady, or hag. Hehe. Cliffhangerr!!!! If you want to find out what happens sooner, R&R! 


	5. In Which Kyo and Haru Finally Realize

**A/N:** Finally, I stopped procrastinating and wrote the fourth chapter. Sorry for my delaying, I was busy with tests, and reading, and mostly Internet-surfing. Hey, who knew Ebay was so addicting?�

Anyways, fourth chapter, and I'm slowly running out of ideas. Help me! So yes, R&R. My story will die out sooner or later if you don't.

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�Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. Or Kyo. Or Haru. Not even a cat or a cow. So, yeah. Please don't sue. 

_Haru and Kyo looked at each other. ''Nobody's lived in these woods since...'' Kyo muttered. Suddenly he paled, and looked at Haru._

_Haru raised a questioning eyebrow. ''Since?'' he asked him._

_''Since Kagura-baba''. Haru's face suddenly matched Kyo's._

_''Oh yes!''Tohru smiled. ''Kagura was her na-'' Suddenly she broke off, looking at the boys' faces. ''Is everything all right?'' she asked them worriedly. ''Do you know her?''_

_Silently, they nodded._

''Really?'' Tohru asked, bubbling with excitement. ''That's great! I really don't remember much of her, but she was nice to me, and gave me candy when I was younger. When I was older, she started giving me...'' at this, Tohru trailed off, blushing a bright tomato red.

Haru and Kyo looked at each other, not even wanting to imagine the kinds of things that Kagura would have given poor, innocent Tohru. Then they looked back to Tohru. 

''U-um, well, Kagura, you see...'' Haru started, then looked at Kyo.

Kyo always the blatant one, said, ''The lady likes me.''

Tohru's eyes widened. ''O-oh!'' she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with nostalgia. ''Yes, I remember she mentioned a certain Kyo sometimes. I knew your name sounded familiar! She said you were about my age, too,'' Tohru smiled. ''What a coincidence, huh?'' 

Haru and Kyo just nodded, unsure of what to make with the sudden connection between Kyo and Tohru. She noticed the uncomfortable tension in the room, and shifted in her seat on the floor, looking for something to say that would break the ice.

''So,'' she began. ''Can you take me to Kagura's house?''

Kyo's left eye twitched. So did Haru's right leg. Soon they were both about to run out the door, but looked back at Tohru. She was still kneeling on the floor, eyes wide. A confused expression spread over her face.

''Y-you don't want to take me anywhere, do you?'' she whispered softly. ''It's OK, I'm used to people doing that to me.'' Head bowed, her bangs covering her eyes, she looked like a fallen angel.

_''Crap''_, thought Haru, _''what have we done?'' _

_''Crap''_, thought Kyo, _''what has that imbecilic cow done?''_

The two glared at each other, oblivious to Tohru, whose tears had stopped, and was now watching them with a great deal of interest in her face.

''Excuse me,'' she coughed, waking them both up from their reverie. ''I-is there something wrong?''

Slowly, their heads turned to look at her, eyes widening, cheeks flaming. Kyo was the first to recover.

''Naw,'' he drawled. ''We'll just take you to Kagura's.''

Haru stared at Kyo like he was crazy. ''You can get killed if you want,'' he said. ''But I'm not going anywhere.'' Then he looked at Tohru, whose face was still stained with dried up tears. 

''Pleeeease?'' she begged. ''I promise I won't be long.'' She widened her eyes and unconsciously stuck out her bottom lip, pouting.

What hormonal teenage boy could resist her? Certainly not Haru, that was for sure. ''F-fine, I guess we can go,'' he muttered. 

And so, the unusual trio left to visit Kagura... whoever the lady was.

Tohru noticed that Kyo and Haru were getting increasingly nervous with every few feet they walked. She stopped and said, ''You don't have to come, you know. You could just tell me where it is and I could try to find it.''

Kyo grunted. ''And leave you all alone in the woods with those men again? Sorry, it's gonna take more than that to get rid of us.''

Tohru turned around, grinning. ''Thank you,'' she whispered, just barely. Haru didn't hear her, but Kyo did, his cute li'l cat ears sticking straight up out of his head and angling towards Tohru. Once he heard the words, he smiled slightly. Maybe one day, she would tell them what had happened to her, and why she was- 

Suddenly, Kyo was on the forest floor, crushed by the body on top of him. Tohru screamed. Haru's eyes widened and he was just about to make a run for it when a wrinkly hand grabbed his ankle.

''You're not going anywhere either, Haru-chan!'' giggled the geezer who had collapsed on top of Kyo. ''To what do I owe this pleasure? You haven't run out of toilet paper again, have you?''

Tohru laughed despite herself, bringing the old lady's attention to her. ''Ahh,'' she smiled. ''A girlfriend? Are you two sharing her?''

This certainly shut Tohru up. As well as Kyo and Haru, who were screaming bloody murder from under the woman's firm grip. Then they all started to talk at once.

''N-no way, lady!'' Kyo spat out.

''O-of course not!'' sputtered Tohru.

Haru could say nothing as his mouth was stuffed with dirt. Finally, he spit it out and told Kagura, ''Tohru Honda said that you used to be her mother's friend.''

Kagura's eyes lit up. ''HONDA!'' she shrieked. ''TOHRU HONDA! I haven't seen you since you were just a little girl, sucking on the little strawberry lollipops I used to give you!''

Tohru's mouth opened. It was her! It was really her. Kagura. She jumped into Kagura's open arms, suddenly sobbing. Kagura brought back memories of her mother. She even smelled like her. _Of course_, Tohru thought, _that was because Kagura and Mom always went shopping together._

Kagura smiled and held Tohru fondly at arm's length. ''What are you doing here, Tohru?'' she smiled. ''How is Kyoko? How have you been? We have so much-'' she stopped when she realized that Tohru's face had gone from ecstatic to completely, utterly, depressed.

''Tohru?'' Kagura asked, wiping away her tears with her puckered hand. ''What's wrong?''

Tohru's shoulders heaved as she tried to calm herself down. ''Mo-Moooomm,'' she wailed. ''Sh-she's gooone. I want her baack.''

Kagura's eyes grew as large as dinner plates. ''Gone?'' she said. ''Gone on a business trip or gone...'' She didn't dare finish the sentence, but the silence in the air besides Tohru's shaking sobs told her the answer.

''Oh Tohru,'' she murmered comfortingly, wrapping the young girl in her arms. ''Kyoko...''

Haru and Kyo looked away, realizing that this wasn't a scene for their eyes. What exactly had that girl been through? Then they realized that Kagura's attention was focused solely on Tohru, and they started to inch away slowly.

Kagura whipped around, eyes boring holes into their heads. If looks could melt, Kyo and Haru would have been sticky puddles of chicken fat on the ground. 

''How could you leave when this young girl here is so obviously traumatized?'' hissed Kagura at the boys. ''Help me get her to my house and then...'' She suddenly brightened up. ''I'll serve you all a cup of tea!''

By now, Tohru had stopped crying, and was her watery smile directed towards the other three was more than enough to change the boys' minds about running away.

_'Not when Tohru needs help'_, the boys thought. _'My Tohru.'_

And, not realizing the implications of their thoughts, they turned to follow Kagura. 

Until they turned around to face each other, faces pale, communicating through horror-filled looks at each other.

''You thinking what I'm thinking?'' Haru whispered to Kyo, who in turn grinned menacingly back at him.

''Yeah,'' he smirked, ''she's mine.''

Haru sweatdropped, but quickly turned angry. ''Hey, who said she-'' But he was cut off as he realized his cousin was already jogging to catch up with the two females a few feet ahead.

''-was yours,'' Haru let out in a soft breath. Then his eyes glinted with a menacing plan. ''Yes, who _did_ say she was yours, Kyonkichi?''

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**A/N:� **Hehehe.� In which Kyo and Haru Finally Realize .� Fill it in, ladies and gents.� Sorry it took so long for me to write this one, but it's the longest one so far.� Plus I wasn't exactly sure how to portray Kagura, since she...uh... is a wrinkly old lady who, apparently, can still play football.�� R&R!�� The game's just beginning for Kyo and Haru.

�


	6. Kyoko's Death

**A/N**: It's definitely been a while since I updated. So I decided to finally work on this story! Oh, and as a reminder: Yuki's sitting this story out, because we don't want too many people fighting over our poor Tohru. So, as of now, he's just gonna...disappear, ok? Because I don't want to set him up with Machi or a character who's not from the story.

I don't own anything in this story. Except for the story, yeah.

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_''You thinking what I'm thinking?'' Haru whispered to Kyo, who in turn grinned menacingly back at him._

_''Yeah,'' he smirked, ''she's mine.''_

_Haru sweatdropped, but quickly turned angry. ''Hey, who said she-'' But he was cut off as he realized his cousin was already jogging to catch up with the two females a few feet ahead._

_''-was yours,'' Haru let out in a soft breath. Then his eyes glinted with a menacing plan. ''Yes, who did say she was yours, Kyonkichi?''_

* * *

When they reached Kagura's house, she motioned for them to sit down. Haru and Kyo's first challenge came in the form of a loveseat and two stools. At first, Kagura sat down on the small two-person sofa and motioned Kyo over saucily- or as saucily as one can get when one is a 65-year old woman. Kyo immediately shuddered with sick dread, and Kagura pouted. ''Oh, I see, Kyon-kyon," she mock sobbed. ''You want to sit with Tohru, don't you? You'd rather sit with a nice pretty young girl than with this old hag!"

"Oh, of course not!" Tohru blushed, beginning to sit down on a stool. "I'm sure Kyo wants to sit with you!" But her reassurances were, for some reason, blocked out by Kagura.

"Tohru, dear, sit here," Kagura wept, sneakily pulling her over and switching spots with her. When the transition was finished, she smirked inwardly. Showtime.

Of course, Kyo and Haru glanced at each other, estimating the distance between the loveseat and them. Haru was the closer one, so he strolled over casually and plopped down on the right of Tohru like it was nothing, eliciting a hiss from Kyo. '_Haru: 1, Kyo:0'_, Haru thought triumphantly.Instead of backing down and sitting on the remaining stool, Kyo sat himself on the left of Tohru, easily fitting in. He smirked over at Haru.

'_Crap!_' Haru mentally slapped his forehead. '_Curse you, healthy, trim body!_' Seemingly ignorant to the inner turmoil of both boys, Kagura stood up and headed for the kitchen. "Well, I'm going to make some tea!" she announced cheerfully. "You just sit tight and entertain each other while I get the teapot working!"

Tohru was the only one who responded, thanking Kagura. "Kagura-chan, are you sure you don't need help?" she asked worriedly. Kagura quickly shook her head. "Nope, nope! Completely responsible adult here! I know how to make tea, Tohru-chan, don't worry!" She left the room, leaving Kyo and Haru wishing she had a TV so they could break the awkward silence.

Kyo tapped the armrest of the loveseat. Haru drummed his fingers on his thigh. Tohru looked at them both, worried she was the cause of their uneasiness. "Er...did I do something wrong?" she asked out loud, blushing tomato red. Haru and Kyo immediately sprang to attention, thrust out of their battle plans. "Nah...we're just...thinking," Haru responded, blinking. Kyo nodded to agree with him. Another hush ensued, broken only by Kagura, bringing out cups of jasmine tea on a tray.

"You three are hopeless conversationalists, you know that?" she sighed dramatically. "You boys would be nothing without me." Then she turned to Tohru, addressing her. "Tohru... I know this is going to hurt, but please try to tell me what happened to Kyoko. I won't force you to, but I really would like to know what happened to one of my oldest friends."

At her mother's name, Tohru gulped back tears. Kyo and Haru turned angrily towards Kagura, but Tohru stopped them, composed again. "She died..." Tohru whispered, a nearly inaudible breath above the sipping of tea. "In a car crash. I don't know anything else or how it happened, because-" Here she stopped, inahling a few gulps of air and tea. "Because I wasn't there to see her dieeeee-" she trailed off, and, in an unusual display of affection, Kyo wrapped an arm around her shoulders tentatively. Haru, not to be outdone, handed her a few tissues, and Tohru blew her nose noisily.

"As soon as I could, I went to see her. The...the doctors told me she was still breathing, just barely, and I went into her room. She was so pale, so white," Tohru sobbed. "I didn't like seeing her pale. And the last words she said were- were- they were I love you, Tohru. And then she went limp and white! So white! And all I could hear was the flat 'bzzzt' of the machine! And all that was left of her were the wires all over her body! And-"

Kagura quickly got up and swept Tohru into her arms. "Oh, Tohru, honey," she cried. "Oh, my poor baby. Just let it out." Together, they collapsed onto the floor, leaning against the couch, Tohru in Kagura's warm embrace.

"SHE DIED!" Tohru screamed in an uncharacteristic act of anger. "SHE WAITED FOR ME, AND...AND SHE DIED! Maybe if she slept, maybe if she rested, maybe she wouldn't...wouldn't..." Here Kagura shushed Tohru up quickly.

"Don't you ever, for a second, think that you were the cause of her death," Kagura sharply chided her. "None of it was your fault. Not a single part." Somewhere during Tohru's muffled cries, Kyo and Haru had snuck back to the kitchen to clean the teacups. They had a feeling it was another moment that wasn't for their eyes. And so, they waited for Tohru to gather herself while they, themselves, gathered their somber thoughts.

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**A/N**: How grimly OOC. And so, we leave off here. Because I'm seriously running out of ideas. And this story is full of plot holes that need some filling up. REVIEW PLEASE. Preferably with constructive criticism!


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